Self-coupling mine-car bumper.



B. STARK.

SELF COUPLING MINE GAR BUMPER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1912.

1,067,384, Patentpd July 15, 1913.

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B. STARK.

SELF COUPLING MINE GAR BUMPER.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1912.

Patented July 15, 1913.

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BAYARD STARK, OF MUNGER, MICHIGAN.

SELF-COUPLING MINE-CAR BUMPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1913..

Application filed September 12, 1912. Serial No. 720,035.

To all whom it may oncern Be it known that I, BAYARD STARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Munger, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Coupling Mine-Car Bumpers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is a mine car bumper and relates more particularly to automatic couplers for mine car bumpers, the improvements pertaining especially to those features of a combined mine car bumper and coupler by which the objects of my invention are attained.

One object of my improvement is to provide a combined coupler and bumper that can be employed in shoving a long train of mine cars without any tendency to buckle the train or to skew the cars on the track.

As is well known, the car tracks in coal mines are usually very narrow gage, in general not over 42 inches. l/Vhen a link coupler is employed, the links of the couplers come together when the train is shoved, throwing the ends of the cars slightly out of line and skewing the cars on the rails, thus causing the cars to bind on the rails and sometimes to either spread the rails or leave the track.

A further object of my invention is to provide acoupler, the link member of which may be swung to one side so as to lie in a direction cross-wise of the track when the car is hoisted up the shaft and out of the way of the coupler on the next car. This folding arrangement of the link member also avoids the possibility of the coupler striking the shaft as the skip rises.

A still further object is to so arrange the coupling member that cars may be coupled as readily while on a curve as on a straight track.

Another object is to provide a coupling device with self locking mechanism that not only holds the coupler jaws locked together when the coupling link is inserted between them, but that also prevents the coupler jaws from opening too wide when the cars are uncoupled, thereby insuring that the jaws will at all times be in proper position to receive the coupler.

My improved coupler is simple in construction, strong and durable and capable of being manipulated under the ordinary wo-rking'conditions of a coal mine without danger to the operator.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the coupler as applied to a car; Fig. 2 shows a top plan view of the two coupler members with the top plates removed and the jaws open; Fig. 3 is a similar top plan view showing the jaws coupled; Fig. 4 shows the coupling member in its transverse or folded position; Fig. 5 is a perspective of the coupling link; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the locking pin; Fig. 7 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, with the top plates in place; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the bottom plate with one of the jaws removed.

As is clearly shown in the drawings, the coupler consists in two members, one having a pair of pivoted coupling jaws and the other having a pivoted coupling link, the end of which is adapted to be engaged by the jaws. The link-carrying member comprises an upper plate 1, and a lower plate 2, between which is secured one end of the draw-bar 3 of the mine car. Near the forward ends of the plates is a fixed pin 4;, upon which is loosely mounted the link member 5. The link member has one end flatted and provided with an elongated slot 6. The other end is forked and carries a loosely mounted roller 7. The plates are formed with pockets 8 to permit the link to be slid back as shown in Fig. 2, and with side recesses 9, 9, to receive the forked end of the link when the latter is in the folded position shown in Fig. 4:. The link may thus be retracted to permit the flat ends of the plates to come together and serve as bumpers when the cars are coupled, or it may be extended as shown in Fig. 23 when pulling, thus permitting the required side plav between the cars, or it may be folded out of the way as in Fig. 4 when being hoisted or lowered in the shaft. The other jaw-carrying member consists of an upper plate -10 and a lower plate 11 receiving between them the end of a draw bar 12. These plates are also recessed as at 13 to receive the forked end and roller 7 of the link.

A pair of jaws, 14:, 14, pivoted at the sides of recess 13, are adapted to close and hook behind roller 7 when closed, as shown in Fig. 3. The rear parts of the inner faces of the jaws are so shaped that the jaws will be moved to their closed position when roller 7 is forced between them, as shown in Fig. 2. To look the jaws in their closed position, .I form each jaw with a notch, 15. These notches separate as the jaws close, and when the jaws are completely closed, as shown in Fig. 8, the notches are sufficiently separated to receive between them the ends of the cross bar 16 of a spring-pressed looking pin 17. lVhen so engaged the cross-bar serves as a block to prevent the jaws opening. To unlock the jaws it is only necessary to lift the pin 17 against the resistance of spring 18 and thus disengage the ends of cross-piece 16 from the notches. 7

To prevent shifting of the plates of the two coupler members due to wear on the draw bars after long continued use, I prefer to provide a device for locking the two plates together and thus preserve their alinement. This device preferably consists in a transverse rib formed on each plate, one of said ribs, as 19, being formed with a mortise and the other with a tenon 20. The shape of the outer front edges of the jaws is preferably the same as that of the plates 10 and 11., so that the jaws when closed are protected by the edges of the plates.

Having described my invention, what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

A coupler head comprising in combination a link having one end fiatted and formed with an elongated slot, the other end of said link being forked; a roller mounted in said forked end; an upper plate and a lower plate, the opposing faces of said plates formed with centrally disposed recesses having diverging walls and together forming a pocket to receive the forked part of said link; said plates also formed with two laterally disposed recesses adapted to receive the forked end of the link when the latter is in its transverse position; and a pin fixed to said plates and passing loosely through said slot.

In testimony whereof, I ZlffiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BAYARD STARK. lVitnesses:

J ole-1N S. MCINTOSH, G. A. I-Ireos.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

